Trophic Levels
"The concerned mother makes a surprised noise when she sees me reading her newly pinned poster, a piece of chicken in hand, its grease on my paw pads and rich fried smell invading everyone’s nostrils. I look at her in the eye and take a bite of greasy flesh, smiling. Its quite fascinating, those involuntary responses you can observe in people, those deeply ingrained instincts making their way to the surface. The way the ears go flat and their tail droops, their nostrils flare and mouth draws agape." - Evelyn Lacine Trophic Levels In DeD, morphs use a simplified version of the trophic classification levels that are used by biologists in the real world. This modified system applies only to morphs, and its more of a social order for the purposes of government census than a literal or binding order. Definition Level 1 Morphs that consume plants are known as NOC-L1 trophics. They are classified as relying solely on plant materials to sustain themselves. NOC-L1 trophic species make up the large majority of the population. Level 2 Morphs that are considered omnivorous/insectivore and in some fringe cases, carnivore but still widely considered a 'prey' species, are classified as L2 trophics. Generally any species that does not exist solely on plant matter, but does not have a history of predatory behaviour or culture will fall into this group. It is generally considered the 'catch all' classification and the least polarised. Level 3 Morphs that fall into the 'obligate carnivore' category, in that they gain their nutrition solely from eating other creatures are called OC-L3 trophics. These morphs make up only a small percentage of the overall population. History In the past morphs tended to stick to their own species forming small groups and teaming up with like-minded species to protect themselves. In some countries this is still the case, with racial tensions running so high they are effectively on the verge of genocide. Carnivore morphs have historically been responsible for a large number of instances of slave trade, predominantly against avian morphs. Until recent days it was unheard of to have carnivore species living peacefully alongside tropic 1-2 morphs. The signing of the Universal Anti Cannibalism Act. The safety net this act enforced led to the restructing of many western nations as "peaceful" cohesive societies consisting of all morphs. This was made in an attempt for peace between instinctual rivalries. Some might call it a 'keep your enemies close' type move. Cannibalism in the DeD sense is defined as eating another morph, regardless of trophic level or species. Anthro morphs are difference species, so the comparison of humans of different races isn’t 100% applicable, but the act is universally looked down on regardless. In modern days a carnivorous morph would for the most part much prefer to eat farm raised animals, than hunt down another intelligent being. Whereas in the past it was more a situation of convenience and availability. On a psychological and social level it would be considered much worse to eat someone of your own species, but in the eyes of the law it would be treated the same regardless of the species of the victim. Excerpt for the Universal Anti-Cannibalism Act: "...expressively forbids the exploitation of persons or property, in body or in mind, for the sake of dietary, nutritional or instinctual urges; including by not limited to assault with intent to consume, body / tissue harvesting, stalking in person or via use of cohorts packs to intimidate or influence a person/persons of differing trophic status.." "...with the express intent of establishing a society that is beyond the vice grip of instinct and base urges," Politics Throughout history the balance of power between trophic groups has swung back and forth like a pendulum. As it stands today the power lies mostly in the hands of the herbivores. Through sheer numbers they are able to generally swing most democratic elections and votes in their favor and have for the last several decades. However lobbyists and funding has become an increasingly viable method for securing 'behind the scenes' power, at least economically. High powered and wealthy carnivores ensure their interests are catered to with the almighty dollar than appealing to the masses. Leaders The current president is a male ram called President Robert Dall, an actively conservative politician with a visible leaning toward trophic 1 level issues. He usually attempts to be seen as egalitarian with regard to trophic levels (or at the very least neutral) though it’s been tenuously ‘proven’ by many a conspiracy theorist that he and his political party are in the pocket of powerful lobbyists and other commercial interests. Currently, Dall is waning in popularity for two reasons. With the large majority of voters herbivores, many of whom critical of his handling of the recent food crisis (some even going as far as to accuse him of manufacturing it himself as a way to manipulate relations with the European Union) his approval rating has plummeted. Additionally minority morphs feel under-represented or overlooked, believing many of the measures taken by the government have come too late and have been too little. The general political climate is not unlike the real worlds popular reaction to the Bush administrations handling of hurricane Katrina relief. Legislation Meat is not farmed on the scale we humans are used to, and as such the supplies are limited and thus much more expensive and unreliable. Many obligate carnivores live their entire lives in poverty. This is in stark contrast to the herbivore community, that make up most of the middle and upper class population, their food in ready supply and cheap to obtain. Because of this inequality the rights group RESOC launched a campaign in the early 50's to ensure that obligate carnivores had access to rations and foodstamps if they were considered low income. The rations, while little better than meat textured cardboard, are enough to sustain a morph for several weeks until better food becomes available. The alternatives for carnivores are limited, protein substitutes will work for a while but usually result in terribly upset stomachs and malnutrition over time. The government rations are barely enough to sustain a healthy weight morph for more than a few months, and with times becoming leaner and leaner more people in their desperation have resorted to predding and other less than pleasant methods of survival. More recently RESOC began campaigning against the laws preventing 'packs' from forming. Essentially any social groups and public gatherings are required to have a 3:1 ratio of herbivore/omnivores (designated NOC-T1/2's) to obligate carnivores (designated OC-T2/3's) in any public place or government institution. This is considered to be the first step of a slippery slope by many, and the basis for more systematic oppression to come in the future. Relationships Due to the catastrophic decline in fertility the dynamic of the family unit has dramatically shifted over the past 30 years. Since the establishment of the 'Save the Species' genetic database, most prospective mothers will undergo fertility treatments and accept donor sperm to conceive, making it no longer necessary to be in a couple with a mate of the same species to procreate. This rise of infertility and the general wide dispersal and rarity of many morph species particularly in the information age have led to cross species couples becoming very common, the large majority remain within their morph family or trophic level. Over the course of the food shortage prejudices have been surfacing more publicly and widely against more unconventional couples, particularly when it comes to purchasing limited food. Its currently impossible for a herbivore to buy food on behalf of his carnivore mate for example. In DeD there is a movement called the Trans-Trophic Alliance that speaks on behalf of people who are attracted to people outside of their own trophic level. Different pairings receive different levels of discrimination of course, as well as fetishised by the media. Predator/Scavenger is fairly widely accepted and it would be unlikely to receive any odd looks, except from the most extreme ideologies (some groups believe sex outside of the species or morph family ie, equidae, canidae, felidae etc) Predators with a preference for prey species are often considered perverse, likely to be violent and dominant in the media. Prey with a preference for predators are the most frowned upon socially. You'll hear people whispering 'daddy issues' and 'fast food' as well as other worse things behind their backs! The trope of a dominant prey morph subduing a submissive pred morph is one of the most common themes in pornography and media you will see in this universe too! Emphasis on cross species relationships is always placed more on the power structure and instincts relating to diet, than to gender, race or any other factor. Popular Culture In popular culture there are also additional 'levels' and classification which have come about largely coincided with the with the rise of the internet. For example the extremist group/ideology simply known as 'The Apex' consider themselves L4 trophics (aka apex predators) and actively encourage hunting behavior, cannibalism and overall carnivore supremacy. This classification is not officially recognized and the group was officially disbanded in the 1920's, though there are is a growing amount of sympathy towards their ideology in recent times. Another example would be L1.5 trophics, who are groups of herbivores that choose to actively consume meat or other proteins. Much as wild deer have been observed to eat baby birds and other animals in the real world, a counter culture movement of herbivore species celebrating eating meat has become more and more outspoken in recent years. There are even some expensive chic restaurants that cater exclusively to the ungulate palate for protein based delicacies. Some would claim this is an act of solidarity to their carnivorous community members, others would consider it edgy and challenging societal norms, while others simply like the taste! Some more radical L1.5 groups campaign vigorously to blur the trophic lines considering it to be a close minded and non-inclusive way of addressing an incredibly complex social issue. Among todays morph youth many might tell you they consider themselves 'trophic-blind'. You might even see small groups or student organisations protesting against institutions they believe enforce the trophic order, aiming to challenge it, or in some cases tear it apart all together. Alternative Diets Vegan in our definition is not a sustainable diet for an obligate carnivore. Not only is plant material nearly impossible to digest or derive nutrition from for an obligate carnivore, but it causes stomach pains, lethargy and general misery. Protein supplements and 'filler' food can be effective in short bursts but over a long period of time a morph would lose weight and possibly cause permanent damage to their digestive tract. There have been numerous cases of both voluntary and forced where a carnivore has subsisted for a long period on a non-meat diet. It is considered an act of torture and neglect and is often prosecuted as such. The most effective 'cruelty free' diet for carnivores would be an insectivore diet. Processing huge amounts of insects into edible protein bars and meal replacements are popular in the fitness world, but are regarded as little more than a fad by the vast majority of mammalian morphs. There is a stigma in the western world held by most mammalian morphs that eating insects is 'beneath' them. Despite this stigma insects as a primary protein source is being pushed more and more by certain groups as a cheap and healthy alternative. While this is a successful practice in other countries it is generally looked down on in the western world by a large majority of morphs who are not avian/reptilian (and those species often face stigma for their preferred diets as a result.) Conversely there are also some groups that promote a 'pure' carnivorous diet for those species that are not obligated to partake in one, such as opossums, bears and other omnivores! There are strong outspoken voices representing this movement but it is not as successful as its supporters hoped for a number of reasons. Generally this sort of diet is not accessible to most people and is limited to the wealthier echelons of society due to the price of maintaining such a lifestyle. Additionally lower income non-obligates are actively encouraged by the government with rebates and food stamps to stick to a predominantly herbivorous diet. With those incentives in place most middle and lower class non-obligates stick to a more plant and alternate protein food sources.